Rusike nets the winner as SuperSport hold off AmaZulu for narrow win

Evans Rusike scored the only goal as SuperSport United beat AmaZulu on Wednesday. Photo: Muzi Ntombela/BackpagePix

PRETORIA - Supersport United got their first win of the new league season as they pipped Amazulu 1-0 in an Absa Premiership match played at the Lucas Moripe Stadium in Atteridgeville near Pretoria on Wednesday evening.

Coming into the match off the back of a 1-0 loss to Cape Town City at the coast over the weekend, the Tshwane-based side relied on a 47th-minute header from Zimbabwean striker Evans Rusike to send the hosts packing.

Amazulu's experienced goalkeeper Moeneeb Josephs was the busier of the two goalkeepers on the night and was undoubtedly the difference between the 1-0 reverse or a much higher scoreline.

At the other end of the park, Amazulu looked a far more attacking side when their evergreen striker Mabuthi Khanyeza came on in place of Michael Morton in the 57th minute, and Supersport goalkeeper Ronwen Williams did well to stop the former Kaizer Chiefs and Golden Arrows man from scoring with one of his first touches on the one hour mark.

The will have made for a better night's sleep for Supersport's newly-appointed head coach Kaitano Tembo, who after Saturday's reverse in Cape Town, must have had nightmares that the season was going the same way that the previous one ended for his charges.

For the Durban-based side, it was their second defeat of the day after their last-ditch effort to finish in the top half of the league table of last season in order to qualify for the lucrative MTN 8 competition, was thrown out at the South Gauteng High Court.

This court action was linked to Advocate William Makhari's verdict which saw Ajax Cape Town docked 9 points over the Tendai Ndoro saga, which let Supersport into the top eight of last season's log and Amazulu ultimately in 9th place.

Amazulu, who saw off Baroka 1-0 in their opening fixture, will now have to watch the MTN 8 action from the stands this weekend, with their next league outing being a home encounter against Free State Stars on August 19. Supersport will be away to Orlando Pirates in their cup knockout match on Saturday.